Deals and Mergers
“Rather inconveniently, so, in fact,” he continued. “Not only were you possibly the most expensive bride
purchase in werewolf history the timing could not be any worse. But, as my mother says, life doesn’t run
to train schedules.”
Jane was stunned into silence. “Alice…” She whispered.
“Alice is a jealous older sister,” he observed dryly. “I imagine she has always been jealous of you. The
malicious b-tch obviously set out to ensure that our marriage was as unhappy as possible by setting us
against each other, and, she succeeded,” he scowled, but then he laughed. “Thankfully my placid little
omega finally lost her patience with me and spoke out of turn,” he leaned down and kissed her. “Or we
both would still think that the other was in this marriage involuntarily.”
He rolled over and sat up to finish his champagne and then rose to bring the champagne bottle and
berries to the bed. “Something to celebrate,” he said reaching over her to retrieve her glass. He refilled it
and handed it to her as she pushed herself up to lean against the bedhead. He refilled his glass and put
his arm around her shoulders, pressing his face into her hair. “To clarity, and omega temper tantrums,” he
touched his glass to hers.
“It was not a temper tantrum,” she sipped the champagne hoping that it might stave off the heat for
longer.
“It was a temper tantrum,” he chuckled. “My cheek is testament to it.” Car headlights drew a line across
the wall, and he frowned, setting the bowl onto the bedside table, and walking over to the window. He
leaned against the window frame. “What is she playing at?” He murmured, and turned, snatching up his
trousers.
“I will be right back,” he said as he pulled on his shirt.
He crossed the sitting room, and out into the hall, the door not quite closing behind him. Jane pulled on
her robe and followed him into the hall, pressing herself up against her wall, feeling the ooze of his seed
between her inner thighs, reminding her that her body wanted more of him, needed more of him.
“What the f-k are you doing Angelique?” He demanded from the top of the stairs.
“Well, you are going to be busy for the next three days as your little b-tch has conveniently gone on
heat,” Angelique replied snidely. “You can’t expect me to sleep alone during that time.”
“This is my f-king house, you want to f-k around with other men, you hire a f-king room in a f-king dive of
a motel, you do not bring other males into my home,” he snarled. “There isn’t an alpha alive who would
tolerate an unrelated male under his roof.”
“Alpha male,” she snapped back. “Because right here is an alpha female who is not only tolerating
another female under her roof, but she’s tolerating her alpha male f-king her.”
“This is not the place, time or audience for this discussion, Angelique,” he replied, sounding weary rather
than angry. Jane peeked around the corner of her wall and could see that he stood on the landing
overlooking the hall below, his arms braced against the handrail of the balustrade. “I will, however, point
out that you are the one who had her implant removed and then threw her onto the floor of my office
telling me to get on with f-king her full of my litter.”
“I think I am leaving,” a male voice responded. The man, Jane thought, that Angelique had brought back
to the house on purpose in order to provoke Baron into an argument.
“You tell me that you married her for her connection, and then when you find out she has an implant, you
leave it in place,” Angelique’s attention was still on Baron. “One of us had to do something about it.”
“Again, not the time, place or audience, Angelique,” he sighed.
“I am going,” the man said again, and Jane wondered if he expected Angelique to leave with him, or was
hoping that she would do so, reluctant to give up his night of passion, and not realising that he had been
seduced and brought to the house solely to annoy Baron during Jane’s heat.
“Go” Angelique told him.
The man sighed and muttered something heavily laden with curse words under his breath and Jane
heard first the front door and then a car door slam, before an engine revved and wheels screamed as he
took out his frustration on the driveway.
“This is getting ridiculous, Angie,” Baron said quietly.
The heat was rising insistently within Jane, sweat beading between her breasts and across her brow, an
insistent throbbing aching between her legs, her nipples painful under even the slightest pressure of her
satin robe. She pulled the fabric free of the tie, opening it, so that her front was exposed to the cooling
air.
“I need more from you,” Angelique replied. “I need guarantees. I am risking myself for you, all but
prostituting myself for you, for your revenge. We have been lovers for the last two years, and I thought
that meant something, Baron. I thought we were in this together, all the way. I thought we had an
understanding, and now I am thinking that you’ve found yourself an upper crust omega to warm your bed
and breed your heirs on, and that this thief and outcast’s daughter is going to find herself discarded the
moment that this job is done.
“And I’m not going to stand for that, Baron,” she had reached the top of the stairs. “All it takes from me is
the wrong words, to the wrong person, whilst you’re up in your office photocopying their secrets, and
your aspirations for revenge are gone, poof,” she blew on her fingers, throwing them out as if she had
blown away an annoying bug as she stalked across the landing towards him. “So, here’s the deal, Baron.
I want two million, deposited into my account, tonight. It’s what you paid for the runt, after all. I think I am
owed that much, at least. Compensation.”
“Two million,” he repeated. “A steep cost, Angie, on top of all your expenses over the last two years, your
shopping trips, beauty appointments, car… Not to mention the wage that I already, and still, pay to you.”
“A fraction of what I would be worth as your wife,” she replied tightly. “A fraction of what you owe me for
having you in my bed for the last two years.”
“Now, that’s insulting,” his voice dropped pitch and tone, becoming seductive. “We both enjoyed that.”
“Don’t want to pay?” She challenged. “Then drop the runt over the balcony and marry me.”
“Somehow I think marrying you will be far more costly,” he observed wryly. “And what do I get for my two
million, Angelique?”.
“My loyalty until the job is done, my silence until you have your revenge.”
“Half now, half when it is done,” he replied his tone shifting again, becoming crisp and efficient.
Negotiations were done. “And you will sign a confidentiality clause that, should you reveal any of my
secrets now or into the future, you will repay every cent.”
“Two and half, then, Baron,” she replied evenly. “Or maybe I will simply disappear. You know that with my
contacts, I will be hard to find.”
“Two, half now, half when done,” he replied. “And I won’t reveal what I have on you, Angelique. I have a
great, big, fat file complete with DNA and voice recordings, confessions whispered in the bedroom.”
She went to strike him, but he was prepared, catching her wrist, and laughing as she spat curses at him.
“You didn’t actually think,” his smirk was in his voice. “That I wouldn’t be prepared for this?”
“You never intended to marry me,” she whispered. “Even before the runt.”
“No,” he agreed. “It was never going to happen, Angelique. Marrying you would be signing my death
certificate, as we both know. Now, I am willing to give you your two million, but you double cross me,
even let the thought cross your pretty little brain, and I will ensure that you…” What he said after was
murmured into her ear, and all Jane heard was Angelique’s moan of anguish. “Have we a deal?”
“I hate you, Baron Western,” she was crying as he released her.
“Apparently something you and Jane have in common.”
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